Testing notes:The Yuki was sharpened by Melampus and has a very refined, but still toothy edge. It's REALLY sharp .The Magumi had a better OOTB edge than the Anryu, so much so, that I sharpened the Anyru on a Shapton Pro 1.5K, Rika 5K, bovine strop sequence to try and minimize edge differences between the two.

I diced medium/large yellow onions that were pretty dense to test the tip and chopping/rock chopping and wedging performance. I sliced Lotus root and diced Jicama to test slicing and wedging performance. I cut some small/medium gold potatoes to test product sticking.

Funny side story on the Megumi:

The site listed these as White #2 core steel, it didn't indicate the cladding type, I really wanted to determine if the cladding was reactive so,

I cut a few onions - no patina (even on the edge), nothin'I let it sit in chopped onions for a while - nothin'.Cut Lotus Root and let it sit for a while - nothin'.Let it sit w/Mango juice on it - nothin'.

No patina anywhere, even on the edge. I started thinking - "you know, either this has some kind of magic lacquer finish on it, or it's stainless Damascus over Ginsan or something. I better double check with Mark." So I checked my email before going to bed and Mark sent me a reply on an earlier query saying he was wrong and the maker said they were stainless Damascus over a VG-10 core .

With that, on to the comparison. The Magumi and Anyru Hammered 210 are VERY similar knives, both in cutting performance, edge profiles and general feel. There's not much in it between them, discounting the core steel differences. The Anryu had a slightly thinner tip with more distal taper and it's tip went through onions a bit better. The Magumi seemed to wedge less and slice a bit better in the main portion of the blade. I couldn't really discern any profile differences on the board when rock chopping. The Anryu Hammered balance point is closer to the handle than the Magumi, actually slightly behind my pinch grip point on the blade. As a result, the Anryu felt a little more nimble, but the Magumi had a bit more chopping power. We're not talking huge differences, though.

I could be happy using either one. The Magumi had a better OOTB edge, so much so, that I sharpened the Anyru on a Shapton Pro 1.5K, Rika 5K, bovine strop sequence to try and minimize edge differences between the two.

Keep in mind that these knives are so close in performance that variances in geometry, profile, grind from knife to knife could have changed my results a bit if I had two different samples of each to compare.

My Yuki actually fared worse than both of these in tip thinness/distal taper and the ability of the tip to glide through onions. It also showed more wedging in my tests slicing through a few products including Lotus root, despite being thinner at the edge. The Yuki had the most blade forward balance of the three. It also had the flattest edge profile, including a longer flat spot at the heel. I could not get as high when rocking before digging the tip into the cutting board with the Yuki versus the other two knives. Granted, I did bend the tip and had to grind a couple of mm's off the tip (via the spine) on my Yuki, but I wouldn't think this would have a huge effect on rocking height.

Overall, I believe the balance point differences are mainly due to handle weights and lengths. It's splitting hairs a bit, but to me, the Megumi had the best overall performance, followed by the Anryu, followed by the Yuki. If you like a thinner tip, get the Anryu. Want an all stainless version of the Anryu? Get the Megumi. These two have me rethinking where the Yuki sits in the food chain on stainless clad, hand hammered, refined rustic Gyutos .

I'll shoot a quickie comparison video of these three when I film the QL videos for this next round and add it to this thread.

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:12 am

Nice job comparing the 3 knives. Sounds like the Megumi did well against it's carbon core stainless clad cousins. I really like my 240 Anryu and 210 Yuki and I don't plan on getting the VG10 version although there are those that want an all stainless blade. The edge reactivity of the Anryu and Yuki is minimal as you know. Yes the Anyru has a thin tip and is a great all around performer! I Also like the look and feel of the hammered matte finish of the Anryu and the Nashiji finish of the Yuki over the more polished look of the Kurosaki Megumi. So many good choices !

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Actually on my samples (210 and 240) the Megumi has a slightly more matte/grey finish to the hammered flats of the blade than the more polished finish on the Anyru. You can really it see setting them side by side, if the lighting is right. The grind w/the Damascus layers is a bit more polished on the Megumi. It's a pretty cool contrast IMO - subtle but definitely noticeable.

BTW, it's already OOS, but the Takamura VG-10 Nashiji 210 Gyuto is pretty sweet. Another one to consider since you're playing with the Minamoto pass around knife.

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:19 am

Thanks for the comparison. It is disappointing to me that the Megumi is all stainless, as it was a more unique offering when it had a carbon core. There are a number of all-stainless hammered/damascus knives out there, but it still sounds like a good knife and one that should appeal to a number of people.

I'm really surprised to hear about the comparative performance of the Anryu and Yuki. Not what I had expected in terms of tip thinness or wedging issues. I like the Yuki edge profile from what you describe, but your comparison definitely makes the Anryu sound like the better performer in several aspects.

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:38 am

"I'm really surprised to hear about the comparative performance of the Anryu and Yuki. Not what I had expected in terms of tip thinness or wedging issues. I like the Yuki edge profile from what you describe, but your comparison definitely makes the Anryu sound like the better performer in several aspects."

I was also surprised. Don't get me wrong - the Yuki is no slouch, but everything is relative and side-by-side trials on the same product are very revealing. Onions aren't only thing these knives will see, but they're relatively inexpensive for testing and I think they're especially good for evaluating the tip performance. I'm just a home cook, but I did dice almost 20 lbs of onions yesterday testing knives. I almost wish I had a couple of heavy prep days somewhere to give these a more thorough workout. I did say "almost" .

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:34 am

To be honest Mowgs, I've never really put a Fujiyama to use other than an onion or two on a White #1 (I think) 210 once. I didn't want to put a patina on them. I guess I'll need to actually use the next one that comes through to get a feel for it . I do know 210 versus 210, the Fujiyamas are smaller knives (shorter at 200-202mm) than the Anryu/Megumi/Yuki. These are all good sized 210's at 215 or more on the edge. The Konos will have nicer F&F with fully rounded, polished spine/choil/neck. These three are nicely relieved with no sharp edges, but they're not at the same finish level as the Fujiyamas I've seen. I'd label them as refined rustic compared to those Konos.

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Re: 210 Gyutos: Megumi vs. Anryu Hammered vs. Yuki

Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:23 pm

Nice comparison. I love my Anryu but have long considered getting the Yuki. Since my biggest pet peeve is wedging, I might be inclined to apply the money to something else. Of course, when I win the lottery, they will all be mine